A Brewer defense technology company accused of trying to illegally sell ballistic armor to a Middle Eastern firm allegedly retaliated against a whistleblower, a lawsuit filed this year said.
Compotech, Inc., which manufactures items like transportable military shelters for both the United States military and foreign entities, is accused of retaliating against Adrian Horn, who worked for the company in 2024, in part as an export compliance officer.
Horn sued the company in January, saying he was fired after raising concerns about Compotech not following required due diligence when selling ballistic armor panels to a company based in the United Arab Emirates. He alleges retaliation under the Maine Human Rights Act, the False Claims Act and the National Defense Authorization Act.
The relatively unknown Brewer company has made headlines this year as it is a finalist in the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Freedom 250 Patriot Pitch Competition. It also recently hosted Vice President JD Vance for a midterm election rally and has received nearly $8 million from the Department of Defense in the last decade.
Horn was fired from Compotech on Nov. 21, 2024, the day after he emailed a brief to all employees explaining export compliance regulations. Compotech said he was not a good fit for the company, according to the lawsuit, but Horn alleges that explanation was to cover up the real reason he was terminated.
The parties are discussing a settlement, according to records in the U.S. District Court of Maine in Bangor. A conference was held Tuesday, but discussions will continue as no decision was reached.
Horn wants a federal judge to say Compotech violated his rights, as well as give him double back pay and any other unspecified damages.
Compotech declined to comment on pending litigation through attorney Melinda Caterine. Horn’s attorney, Martin Tartre, did not respond to a request for comment.
Compotech was planning to sell ballistic armor panels to International Golden Group, according to the lawsuit. The company provides support services for the United Arab Emirates defense ministry and other governmental agencies, according to its website.
The United Arab Emirates was rated second highest for corruption risk through the Transparency International’s Government Defense Integrity Index, the lawsuit said.
Horn alleges that Jacques Nader, then Compotech’s chief financial officer, told Horn to stop asking the required due diligence questions about the sale.
Nader, now the CEO, allegedly told Horn that sale would be very lucrative and it needed to happen, the lawsuit said.
Court records do not say if the sale was completed.
Compotech disputes Horn’s allegations, according to court records. The due diligence questions were not required by law, and failing to follow what Horn thought was the “prudent, compliant course” doesn’t violate the law, the company said in a motion to dismiss.
The motion goes on to deny the allegations raised by Horn, saying he did not have a plausible argument to believe the company violated the law, which means the company couldn’t retaliate.
Nader didn’t tell Horn to stop due diligence, according to Compotech’s response. It said Horn was not doing his job and did not have the work ethics and experience necessary.
The motion to dismiss is pending.